Starting valve



,9 EEl V Gm 5 N ,2 RWY M F J A d R E 1 F Aug. 12 1924.

WITNESSES Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ROBERT F. RINGLE, OF ZELIENOPLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- TO HERMAN PNEU- MATIG MACHINE COMPANY, OF ZELIENOPLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STARTING VALVE.

Application filed July 25, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT F. RIN LE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Zelienople, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a starting valve, and has special reference to such a valve for use in connection with a vibrator of the type shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,243,030, granted on October 16, 1917, to Austin and Ringle for turn over and pattern drawing device.

The object of my invention is to pro vide a cheap, simple and efficient starting valve for use with such vibrators which will when used in cases where the operating or control valve is placed at some distance from the vibrator enable a predetermined high pressure to be applied to said vibrator instantly to start the same and thereby overcome the usual sticking of the plunger within the vibrator in its neutral position, such as is generally caused by variable low pressures.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a form of valve which will permitthe air control for the vibrator to be placed at any suitable distance from such vibrator and enable such vibrator to be instantly started when desired.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, inthe novel arrangement, con struction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and use my improved starting valve, I will describe the same more fully, referring to 45 the accompanying sheet of drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing my improved starting valve applied to an ordinary approved form of a vibrator, and i Fig. 2 is a like view of the Starting valve Serial No. 313,232.

showing the same in its other position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of the figures on the sheet of drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved starting valve is shown at A, and is provided with the cup-shaped body 1 having a cover 2 over the end of the same and between such. end and said cover in a gasket 3. A pipe 4 leads through a boss 5 at the other end of the body 1 and opens into a chamber 6 at such end, and such pipe is provided with the usual air control or valve 6, which is located at any desired position on such pipe for convenience of operation, in order to control the admission of air to the vibrator hereinafter described through such valve A. Within the body 1 of the valve A is the operating valve 7 which is cup-shaped and within which is a spiral spring 8. This spring is seated within a recess 9 in the cover 2 at one end and its opposite end is supported on a plate 10 which is provided with apointed end 11 for fitting within a like-shaped seat 12 in the solid end of the valve 7. A hole 13 extends through the cover 2 and a passage way let is formed in the side of the valve body 1 which passage-way opens into each end 15 and 15 of the valve chamber 15 by the ports 14 and l t respectively. A groundvalve seat 16 is formed in the end of the body 1 over and around the chamber 6, for the end portion 7, and another chamber 17 is formed in the side of said body opposite the side containing the passageway 14:. A pipe 18 leads from the chamber 17 and through a boss 19 on said body and its opposite end is connected to the side of the 'ibrator B hereinafter described.

The vibrator B is of the ordinary ap proved construction which has the usual. plunger 20 in the body 21 of the same, with suitable ports in said plunger and body, and. a spring 522 is located in the body and against one end of the plunger for l'iolding such plunger in its starting position. The vibrator plunger 20 operates as a valve for its own control, and provided with two annular grooves 23 and 24, adapted, in ex treme positions of movement of the plunger, to register with inlet ports'25 and 26 which communicate with a passage 27 connected to the air supply pipe 18. The plunger is provided with two passages 28 and 29 which communicate respectively with the annular grooves 23 and 2&- and which serve to establish communication between the said grooves and the spaces 30 and 31 respectively, lo cated at the opposite ends of the cylinder in which the plunger reciprocates. The casing 21 is provided with exhaust ports 32 and 33 with which the annular grooves 23 and 24 respectively register when the plunger is in extreme positions of its movement.

The spring 22 serves to return the plunge to the starting position when the air supply through the pipe 18 is shut otl'. hen air is supplied to the pipe 18 and passage 27, it first flows into the annular groove 23 and from thence through the passage 28 into the space 31, thereby causing the plunger to be moved toward the spring 22 against the resistance offered thereby, the air in the space 31 at such times being exhausted through the passage 29, annular groove 2a and exhaust port 33. If the impulse imparted to the plunger by the inrush of the compressed fluid be quick and powerful, the plunger will be accelerated so that its momentum will carry it pastneutral position into a positionwhere the annular groove 2% registers with the inlet port 26 and the annular groove 23 registers with the exhaust port 32. WVhen the plunger has been moved o such a position compressed fluid will enter the spa'e 81 through the passage 29, and air will exhaust through from the space 3t through the passage 28, annular groove 23 and exhaust port 82. The plunger will be re turned to its starting position and will thereafter continue to oscillate so long as any air is supplied with sufficient pressure to operate the plunger.

This type of vibrator is of simple con.- struction and is not complicated with the usual complex valves and control passages such as are employed in controlling the operation of oscillating motors such as are usually employed in reciprocating drills, pneumatic hammers, etc.. and for this rea -"n.

- is especially well adapted for use with molding machines where they are subject to more or less grit and sand and hard usage. This type of vibrator is liable to be slowly moved to a neutral position wherein the port 25 is 7 closed to the degree that insufficient air is delivered to the space 30 to further compress the spring 22 and thereby register the groove 2a with the port 26. Under such. conditions the plunger will remain stationary. The liability of this condition occurring is further entranced as the plunger becomes worn and permits air to leak past the. plunger into the end spaces or exhaust ports. The plunger, however, is only moved into such neutral or stalled position when the air pressure first supplied is insullicient to give the plunger suflicient momentum to carry it past neutral position, and the plunger will not stall at the start, where the air is let into the passage 27 suddenly and with suflicient pressure to quickly and forcibly accelerate the plunger.

In installations where the fluid pressure control valve is located an appreciable distance from the vibrator and even though the operating pressure be high, the air first entering the passage 27 in advance of the air released by the control -alve and remaining in the pipe between the valve and the vibrator may be just sufiicient to move the plunger to neutral position, from which position the subsequent increased pressure cannot dislodge it.

In order to obviate this stalling dilli; ulty and at the same time enable the operator to control the vibrator from a fluid control valve located remote from the vibrator, l have provided the pressure actuated valve A which serves to build up the pressure in the operating pipe at to a 1n'cdetcrmintal minimum pressure before air is admitted to the vibrator, and thereby insures ellcctivc operation of the plunger at every starting operation. Air under pressure is permitted by suitable control means to flow through pipe e'l trom a source of supply into the chamber 6 of the valve A, where its flow is checked by the valve 7 being seated against the seat 16 over said chamber and such flow will remain checked until a sufiicient pressure built up underneath such valve to overcome the force of the spring 8. \Vhcn sufiicient pressure of the air in the chamber 6 is obtained the valve 7 is lifted from its seat 16 and as soon as the seal is broken between said valve and seat, such valve is forced against and seats firmly on the gasket 3, due to the increase of the effective area of said valve and as shown in Fig. 2. That is. as soon as the air lifts valve 7 a slight distance, the area of: the exposed surface is greatly increased and the pressure that acted to raise the valve a slight extent then acts on a greater area, while the resistance of the spring is not correspondingly increased so that the valve 7 is immediately seated against the gasket 3 and the full pressure of the air in the line atis admitted to the vibrator. hen the valve 7 is thus seated against the gasket 3 it will prevent the air from escaping through the passage-way 14;. port 14 and hole 13, so that the air flowina through the pipe 4 is then free to pass suddenly and at a ln'edetermined minimum pressure through the chamber 6 into the chamber .7 and thenre tl'irough the pi pc 1.8 into vibrator B and cause the plunger 20 therein to reciprocate rapidly, thereby imparting a vibratory action to such vibrator. After sul'licient vibrating is had by the vibrator B, the air is then closed through the pipe 4 by the control means therein, which will allow the spring 8' to open and cause the valve 7 to returnto the seat 16, so that the air which is left in the vibrator will then return through the pipe 18 into the valve chamber end 15 and be exhausted to the atmosphere through the port 14', passage-way 14, port 14" valve chamber end 15 and hole 13, while the-spring 22 in the vibrator willcause the plunger 20 in such vibrator to return to its initial or starting ,position, as shown in Fig, 1.

It will thus be seen that my improved starting valve will enable the device with which it is employed, such as a vibrator, to start instantly, so that the vibrator will always he in shape for immediate operation, and thus considerable time will be saved where fast working is required, especially in the making of sand molds where these vibrators are generally employed in connection with sand molding devices or machinery.

It will also be seen that in the use of the starting valve and when placed in close proximity to the vibrator, the long travel of the operating fluid from the operating or control valve in building up the fluid for use in the vibrator is overcome, as such vibrators are frequently located at some distance and at heights out of reach from such operating control valve.

It will be evident that my improved starting valve can be applied to other devices and other forms of vibrators and in connec tion. with vibrato-rs that are used with devices other than in the making of sand molds, while such valve may also be used with vibrators in which fluid other than air is used to operate the same and such valve.

Various modifications and changes in the design and construction of my improved starting valve and in the design and construction of vibrator or other device employed therewith may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any-of its advantages.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1, A starting valve comprising acasing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage, an outlet passage, an exhaust port, said inlet and outlet passages and said exhaust port communicating with the chamber, a reciprocable valve in the chamber, a resilient means for normally holding said valve seated over the inlet with the exhaust port open, said valve being movableto open position when the'pressure on the inlet side thereof exceeds the resistance of said spring, said valve presenting an increased area to air pressure when so'opened whereby less pressure is required to hold it open than to open it initially, said valve in its open position closing the exhaust port.

2. A starting valve comprising a casing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage, an outlet passage, an exhaust port, said inlet and outlet passages and said exhaust port communicating with the chamber, the outlet passage being more restricted than the inlet passage, a reciprocable valve in the chamber, a resilient means for normally holding said valve seated over the inlet with the exhaust'port open, said valve being movable to open position when the pressure on the inlet side thereof exceeds the resistance of said spring, said valve presenting an increased area to air pressure when so opened, whereby less pressure is required to hold it open than to open it initially, said valve in its open position closing the exhaust port.

3. A starting valve comprising a casing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage to the chamber, an outlet passage from the chamber, an exhaust port in the chamber, a

reciprocable valve in the chamber normally seated over the inlet passage by means of a spring, said valve being movable to open position upon a predetermined operating pres sure being reached in said inlet passage, said valve presenting a greater surface to the air pressure when opened than when closed, the valve closing said exhaust port when open, said exhaust port being so located as to prevent the escape of air from the pressure side of said-valve when the valve is fully opened, but serving to prevent any pressure building upon the exhaust side ofthe valve when the valve is opened, whereby inlet pressure will always work on one side of the valve against atmospheric pressure on the other, the inlet and outlet passages being in communication only when said valve is in its open position.

4. The combination with an autoniiatic fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator, ot a line for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, a manually operable valve in said line remotely located with respect to the vibrator, and means interposed between the manually operable valve and the vibrator in close proximity to the vibrator for pre venting said vibrator -from stalling when the manually operable valve is initially opened.

5. The combination with an automatic fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator, of a line for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, amanually operable valve in the line remotely located with respect to the vibrator, and a starting valve interposed in the line between the vibrator and manually operable valve in close proximity to the vibrator, said starting valve being arranged to remain closed until a sufiicient predetermined pressure has been built up in the line between the manually operable valve and the starting valve, said valve being adapted to then open to its fullest extent to initially permit the accumulated fluid in the line between the manually operable valve and the 5 starting valve to pass suddenly into the vibrator, whereby a gradual building up of pressure and consequent stalling of the vibrator is prevented.

6. The combination with a fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator, of a line for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, a manually operable valve in the line remotely located with respect to the vibrator, and a starting valve interposed in the line between the vi brator and manually operable valve in close proximity to the vibrator, said starting valve being arranged to remain closed until a suflicient predetern'iined pressure has been built up in the line between the manually operable valve and the starting valve, said valve being adapted to then open to its fullest ex tent to initially permit the accumulates fluid in the line between the manually operable valve and starting valve to pass at substantially undiminished pressure to the vibrator and thereby prevent su h gradual building up of pressure as would cause the vibrator to stall.

7. The combination with a fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator, of a long supply pipe for supplying air thereto, and a fluid actuated valve in said pipe in close proximity to the vibrator, said valve being arranged to remain normally closed until a predetermined pressure has been reached in said pipe on the inlet side or" the valve, said valve being arranged to close only after the pressure on the inlet side thereof has been reduced considerably below the pressure required to open said *alve.

8. The combination with a fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator and fluid supply line having a manual fluid coi'itrolling means therein remotely located with respect to the vibrator, of means having an open and a closed position disposed in said line between the said manual fluid controlling means and the vibrator and adapted to be moved substantially instantaneously from closed toopen position when the pressure in the line reaches a predetermined point, said means controlling the admission of fluid from said line to said vibrator, and permitting the fl-uid to flow into the vibrator initially and during the time the vibrator is actuating at a pressure substantially equal to the working pressure in the line.

9. The combination with an automatic fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator and a long supply line for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, of automatic means interposed between the vibrator and the supply line in close proximity to the vibrator for preventing the passage of air to the vibrator until a predetermined pressure has been built up in the line, said means operating by the pressure in the line to an open position when the pressure reaches such predetermined pressure to admit air to the vibrator at substantially the pressure prevailing in the line when such means opens.

10. The combination with automatic fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator and a fluid supply line having a control valve located at any suitable point therein which is remotely located with respect to the vibrator, of means disposed in said supply line between the control valve and the vibrator and relatively near the vibrator, said means preventing the admission of fluid to the vibrator until a predetermined pressure has been reached in the line, and being operable to supply the vibrator with fluid at substantially line pressure and in sufiicient quantity to immediately give full operating pressure to the vibrator, whereby a gradual building up of pressure in the vibrator is prevented.

11. The combination with automatic fluid actuated self-controlled vibrator, of a fluid supply line having a control valve therein remotely located with respect to the vibrator, and means in said line between. the control valve and the vibrator and relatively near the vibrator for preventing the gradual building up of pressure in the vibrator when the control valve is opened, said means operating to first build up a pressure in the supply line between the control valve and said means, and opening to allow substantially full line pressure to be substantially instantaneously supplied to the vibrator in suflicient quantity to immediately effect its operation at normal pipe line pressure after a predetermined minimum has been reached in the line.

12. The combination with an automatic fluid actuated vibrator, of a relatively long fluid supply line therefor, and control means interposed between the air supply line and the vibrator and in close proximity to the vibrator, said control means in cluding a difl erential valve arranged to be opened by the pressure in the line, and a spring for closing the valve, said valve presenting a greater area to fluid in the line when opened than when closed, whereby the pressure for opening it must be greater than the pressure for holding it open.

13. The combination with an automatic fluid actuated vibrator, of a. fluid supply line therefor, a manually operable valve in the air supply line remotely located with respect to the vibrator, and an automatic control means in the line between the manually operable valve and the vibrator and in close proximity to the latter, said means including a differential valve adapted to be opened by the pressure in the line between the manually operable valve and the differential valve, said valve requiring more pressure to open it than to maintain it open.

14. The combination with a fluid operated vibrator, a relatively long fluid supply line therefor, and an automatic fluid pressure actuated differential valve in the air line in close proximity to the vibrator, said valve requiring greater pressure to open it than to maintain it open, said valve thus permitting only high pressure fluid to ini- 10 tially enter the vibrator.

In testimony whereof, I, the said ROBERT F. RINGLE, have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT F. RINGLE. Witness:

J. M. GEOGHEGAN. 

